Pope sorry for angering Muslims

Papal apology: The Pope says he is sorry for the reactions caused. [File photo]

ABC TV

Pope Benedict XVI says he does not share the views of an emperor he quoted in a speech earlier this week that triggered outrage across the Muslim world.

He says he is "deeply sorry" for the anger he caused.

In his speech in Germany, the Pope quoted the 14th century Christian emperor saying everything Prophet Mohammad brought was "evil and inhuman", "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Using the terms "jihad" and "holy war", the 79-year-old said violence was "incompatible with the nature of God".

The Pope has voiced his regret during the traditional Angelus blessing from the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, his first public appearance since the speech.

"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," he said.

Pope Benedict says the passages were taken from a medieval text that do not "in any way" reflect his personal thoughts.

"I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect," he said.

The Pope has stopped short of retracting his remarks under mounting pressure from Muslim leaders to offer a personal apology.

His expression of sorrow is stronger than that of "sincere regret" contained in a Vatican statement yesterday, but it remains to be seen if it will satisfy demands for an unequivocal personal apology.

Security stepped up

The Italian Government has ordered police chiefs to raise the level of national security, amid violent threats by Islamist groups overseas.

A hardline cleric linked to Somalia's powerful Islamist movement has called for Muslims to "hunt down" and kill the pope, while an armed Iraqi group has threatened to carry out attacks against Rome and the Vatican.

A third day of attacks on Christian places of worship in the Palestinian territories has seen unknown assailants throw Molotov cocktails and a burning tire at two Catholic churches in the northern West Bank.

The scale and intensity of the reaction has cast doubts on the Pope's next scheduled foreign trip in November to Turkey.